If you’re like most people, there’s a good chance that your skin reacts to the changes that come with the seasons. Though it can be any and every season, for most of us it’s the transition between spring and summer and fall to winter. That’s because these are the times when the weather moves to its next extreme. For some this shift manifests in full on breakouts, while others experience their skin become thirstier and in need of heavier moisture. Some people find they need to tweak their approach just a little, while others remain perplexed about what their skin is asking of them and how to meet its needs.

Just like every quarter comes with new or refined goals and strategies for your business, so too does every season come with a new theme that you can use to your advantage. Whether it’s capitalizing on the increased sun and warmth in the summer, snow covered pine trees in the winter, changing colors of the fall and blooming flowers in the spring, there’s a way for you to make seasonal changes work for you and your business. And one of the easiest ways to do this is to release a seasonal product offering.

Perhaps you’ve heard of oil cleansing, but what about washing with honey? It sounds a little crazy, but there are actually a good amount of people who have found honey to be the secret ingredient to their skincare success- especially among those who suffer from acne. You don’t have to have acne to benefit from using honey as your facial cleanser, though. Your skin can be perfectly fine or have other issues you want to work on. The great thing about honey, when real and raw (lots of honey on the market is actually not real honey or has been heated to a temperature that damages its beneficial properties) is that it’s benefits are universal, meaning they’re great for everyone.

If you’re in business, you know you have competition. And most likely, your competition knows about you. Some people think that in order to be successful you need to constantly be monitoring your competitors- but is that really true? While different people and organizations will find an approach that works for them, here at RainShadow Labs we feel like there’s a balance to be had between knowing what your competition is doing and minding your own business. Put another way: don’t spend all your time worrying about what other people are doing. Focus on what you are doing, and do it really well. Stay current on your industry, but don’t get lost in the mess of what everybody else is/will be doing. Mind your business- literally.

In the private label skincare sector there’s always a new “it” ingredient and product trend; it can be hard to know which ones to take seriously. Is vitamin C really all that? Is rosehip seed oil all it’s chalked up to be? Is beard oil really worth adding to your product line? As you navigate the sometimes winding roads of the natural skincare landscape, it’s important to develop an eye and sense for trends that will stick and trends that will go away as quickly as they came. Some are worth capitalizing on for that brief, seasonal moment while ignoring others will have no real adverse effect on your business. Here’s how to know what trends to follow and which ones may not be worth your time: